Los Angeles County committee members voted 6 to 5 against recommending that Malibu form a separate school district. 

But the matter is far from over.  It was an advisory vote only.  And the opinion was only on the original Malibu divorce petitions from 2017 …   

And in the last few weeks… Santa Monica board members have said publicly they have reached agreement with Malibu on a divorce agreement … that is financially better for them.

A board meeting has been called fro April 29th … when the Santa Monica board members have said they will approve a joint plan with Malibu to go to the state to ask for the divorce.

That would make yesterday’s county meeting redundant … moot.

At the meeting … tensions ran high on the board before the 6 to 5 vote. 

Appointed committee members from across LA County have sat through days of testimony … and hours of debates between Santa Monica and Malibu. 

Donald LaPlante … who represents Downey … was on Malibu’s side.

ONE LA PLANTE 71152 

“My whole vote on this item is a vote on local control. Period. That’s what it is. 

“The district never should have been … the areas should have never been put together in the first place. 

“It’s what happens 70+ years ago. 

“What needs to happen now needs to be Santa Monica district needs to be Malibu.”

But other board members said the evidence points to Malibu parents having failed to meet the nine criteria necessary to have a separate district. 

Ralph Mechur … a former Santa Monica school board member … sits on the county committee.  And despite that conflict of interest … yesterday he repeated his steadfast opposition to Malibu independence.

MECHUR STANDARDS 71155

“I am just going to read this.

“Proposals to form unified school districts should only should be undertaken based on evidence of compelling reasons to make such changes related to objective barriers to students, educational achievement and guided by the mandated conditions.

I don’t feel that proposal before us meets that standard.” 

A committee member from South LA County … Estefany Castaneda … said Malibu’s petition failed to meet 8 of the 9 criteria for a separate district.

CASTANEDA ONE  71154

“There is no binding plan to divide property or revenue. 

“No finalized tax tax agreement and no clear operational transition.

“It leaves too many critical questions unanswered about who pays for what …who is responsible for debt and how continuity for students and staff will be ensured. 

“Santa Monica would lose a substantial portion of its property tax base … while continuing to serve the vast majority of low income students, English learners, and students with special needs in the district..

“That’s not just bad planning, that is inequitable.”

State law does not require those agreements to be place any this time in the process.  But Castaneda went on to chide Malibu for trying to evade its responsibility to Santa Monica kids. 

REJECT URGE 71156

“Public education is about shared responsibility.

“A reorganization that allows one city to take its wealth and walk away, without a whole, fair plan violates the principles of fiscal justice and educational equity.

“Until Malibu presents a real plan that meets the law and protects all students and families affected … I urge the committee to reject this petition.”

Yesterday … the board members talked over each other … bickered … raised parliamentary objections … and sounded thoroughly disgusted with itself … as it took the vote.

The two board members representing Malibu and the westside were appointed by then county supervisor Sheila Kuehl as payback for her longtime political supporters in Santa Monica. 

Barry Snell and Ralph Mechur are former Santa Monica school board members … reliable votes against Malibu.

And despite that conflict of interest …. they voted yesterday.  And their opposition to Malibu clearly ticked off other board members …. 

Here is Charles Davis from Los Angeles and Ralph Mechur from Santa Monica yesterday. 

STACKED ALREADY 71153 

DAVIS: “It’s stacked already.  Do what you are going to do.

CHAIR: “Mister Mechur?

DAVIS: “Madame Chair, I called for the question, that is non debatable. Let’s go on and vote.

MECHUR: “To the point that was just made.”

DAVIS: “Madam chair, I called for the question. Are you going to recognize that?”

CHAIR: “Is there a second to the call to question?”

PARTIES NOW TALKING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER:

DAVIS: ” “Just deal, ma’am.  I don’t mean to be disrespectful.”

CHAIR: “Excuse me.  I would just like for you to repeat the call to the question.”

DAVIS: “I would like you be be respectful to the children. 

CHAIR: “ But. … But …. But …”

DAVIS : “Let’s just vote.”

CHAIR: “Excuse me … “

DAVIS: “I would like to be very respectful to each other.”

This bickering went on for 20 minutes. 

The Santa Monica newspaper called the voting process “as convoluted, delayed, accusatory and frustrating as the petition process itself.”

It ended with a 6 to 5 vote … recommending against an independent Malibu school district … with the two former Santa Monica board members both voting against Malibu. 

Members of AMPS … the association of Malibu parents… were left sputtering abut that conflict of interest. 

But the drive for an independent Malibu district is not over.

It was an advisory vote only. And the vote yesterday was on the original divorce petition filed by Malibu in 2017.

Last month … Santa Monica board members agreed to approve a negotiated agreement with Malibu .. receded just this winter.

That is supposed to happen in 20 days … on April 23 

Committee member Donald LaPlante …

LA PLANTE TWO 71150 

“There’s apparently a meeting on April 23.

“And I hope there are four votes in the Santa Monica Malibu school district (board) to ratify and approve whatever that agreement was.

“It was sorted out six months ago, and everybody can get back on the railroad train and get it moving towards Sacramento get on the state agenda and get it approved … so that there can be a Santa Monica unified school district and a Malibu unified school district.”

The entire matter will be decided on by the state Board of Education … or possibly the California legislature … likely several years from now. 

Scammers Send Bills From City To Fire Victims

Scammers have latched on to the Malibu fire tragedy. Some Malibu fire victims say they are being scammed by someone sending fake invoices from the City of Malibu. 

The emailed notices look almost comical. … laid out more like a wedding invitation than a bill … 

It is obviously bogus. 

One resident got a supposed bill for 49 hundred 20 dollars.

It was itemized as something called a compensation fee .. whatever that is.

It directed the recipient to electronically transfer the funds to a bank account in Beaverton Oregon. 

State Bar and Attorney General Warn Lawyers To Not Troll For Clients

The State Bar Association … which regulates lawyers … and Attorney General Rob Bonta sent out a joint message this morning to attorneys.

They urged attorneys to review the state bar’s Rules of Professional Conduct … on communications concerning a lawyer’s services, advertising, and solicitation. 

Lawyers are urged to avoid in-person or real-time electronic solicitation.

That includes calling people …. soliciting clients in person or by telephone calls or test messages,

All unsolicited communications must be labelled as advertisements.

Letters have to be labeled as an advertisement on the outside of the envelope.

Sending recorded or electronic communications offering legal representation must clearly be labeled as an advertisement at the beginning and end of any such communications.

Ethical conduct is essential during times of crisis … says th lawyers group.

City Rebuild Center Policy To Go Before Council 

The City of Malibu has opened a Rebuild Center … across the parking lot from City Hall. 

The idea … give burned down home owners a centralized office … a center that focusses only on fire rebuilds.

But how does it work?

Is it part of the Planning Department?

How does the building safety department fit in?

Is there a manager in charge of this … a rebuilding manager … a rebuilding czar????

And how does it interface with the existing city hall offices?
That has not been determined. 

On top of that … some neighborhoods have residents who want different things.

Big Rock Mesa wants a resident they have selected to oversee the process.

The oceanfront residents say they want to hire a management company.

The city council has a meeting today … a study session … at 3 p-m.

Hiring a rebuilding czar … a manager to handle everything … in on the agenda. 

Using some sort of different technology might be employed.

If this sounds sort of vague… It is.

City Council members said at the last meeting so they want to toss around ideas.

The meeting is open to the public… And it’s at 3 PM at Malibu City Hall today.

Intentionally-Bad Software May Be Leading Homeowners To Buy Insufficient Insurance

Thousands of recent fire victims are finding themselves woefully underinsured … because home insurance companies are making a fast buck by selling insurance policies based on fault rebuilding cost estimates.

An investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper finds that insurance brokers are using computer software that is known to use faulty data to set coverage plans for their policyholders.

The newspaper has found that these estimator tools routinely underestimate what their clients will need in order to rebuild their houses. 

Entire burned down communities inCalifornia are one vacant lot … after another … because landowners cannot afford to rebuild.

The leading estimator tool is 360Value … software that is used by insurers representing two-thirds of the U.S. market.

The Chronicle found that the data 360Value relies upon is frequently outdated and incomplete … and agents who use the tool rarely take the time to verify details. 

Insurance policies are therefore sold that understate the cost of rebuilding homes, often by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Chronicle reports that at least four of California’s largest home insurers have known for years about these critical gaps for years. 

But they continue to use 360Value to set coverage limits for their policyholders, without telling customers of the program’s known flaws.

These companies include State Farm, Farmers Insurance Group, CSAA and USAA.

We have posted a link to the San Francisco Chronicle’s investigation at the KBUU Newswire … published later today. 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2025/california-home-insurance-underinsured/

News Media Pranked: Caruso Not USC President

Yesterday we reported that USC had hired Rick Caruso as its new president. 

That was a hoax that got picked up by LA TV stations … and rebroadcast by KBUU.

Missing 13-Year-Old Boy May Have Been Found Dead Up The Coast

A missing 13-year-old boy from the San Fernando Valley may have been found dead near the beach in Oxnard.

The teen was reported missing on Sunday by his family.

He had apparently gone to visit a friend in Lancaster … but never came home.

LAPD homicide detectives were given a tip .. and searched the brush near the Santa Clara River. 

That’s where it looks like the remains of Oscar Omar Hernandez … age 13 … were found. 

LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton held a news conference … and said the cause of death is unknown.

The FBI was also assisting in the investigation.

“Anyone who thinks they’re going to get away with any kind of foul play or nefarious activity or criminal activity, they’re going to learn that the Los Angeles Police Department will stop at nothing to bring people to justice,” LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said.

Sheriff To Be Challenged In Election By Deputy, Upset With Jury Verdict

We told you this week that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies are really angry over the conviction of a deputy on abuse charges.

Deputy Trevor Kirk was found guilty by a federal jury of using excessive force when he assaulted and pepper-sprayed a woman outside a supermarket in Lancaster.

Kirk faces up to 10 years in prison.  in June 2023.

Kirk falsely reported he was in a fight with a woman he was detaining . And without issuing commands … he pepper-sprayed the woman twice in the face. A

t the time, her hands were holding only prescription sunglasses and a cloth surgical mask.

Now … deputies are furious with county sheriff Roberty Luna … they say he failed to protect one of their own who was doing his job.

Now … a lieutenant at the Palmdale station has announced he wants to unseat Luna inn the next election. 

Lt. Oscar Martinez has announced his candidacy. 

Luna tells the KHTS Radio that the sheriff of bowed to the political pressures of anti-police groups … instead of standing up for the people who work in the Sheriff’s Department.

Martinez is a registered Republican, while Luna is a Democrat.